Monday, April 04, 2016

Ramen Noodles for the Soul and the Nostrils

When the
thermometer flip flops between 70 degrees and 30 degrees during any given week,
it’s a pretty good bet I’ll get smacked with the dreaded spring sinus
infection. Within a matter of hours, I’m at least three of the Seven Dwarfs –
Drippy, Sneezy and Stuffy. I need therapy STAT.

As it
happens, Zany is nursing a pesky post-nasal drip as well, so we arrange for
immediate medical attention - a trip to UrbanSpace for Ramen noodles.I trot quickly across town to meet her, as my
24 hour cold medication appears to have expired after just 6 hours.

We rendevous
a bit ahead of the noon hour, as the competition for those squiggly noodles can
be fierce.In fact, the entire floor of
UrbanSpace is already starting to look like the 6 Train at rush hour.

Kurt-Obi Ippudo is renowned throughout New York as the Zen Master of Ramen, with
locations all over the city.The
UrbanSpace booth is humming with activity.Team members in smart white t-shirts mix noodles into large vats of
broth, stirring up a steamy umami haze that just might whip the crowd into a
frenzy.

Zany is torn.She consults with
the counter woman who explains to her that the thick cut bacon will offer a
smokier flavor.Zany is obviously under
the weather.She rarely needs any convincing
that adding bacon is a good idea. I go crazy with two toppings – umami egg and
sweet corn for added crunch.My bill is nearly
18 dollars.

We circle
the indoor picnic area, and finally find the only two remaining seats on the
floor. We slide onto the benches and open our bags of food.

“You know,
of course, it would probably only cost us a few dollars to make this ourselves,”
Zany observes. Perhaps, but sometimes you just need to consult with a
professional.

A savory
steam wafts from the cup, and I dip into the rich broth.Immediately my nostrils relax and I can
breathe again.The combination of
crave-worthy spices and yards of slippery noodles does the trick. It’s far
superior to one of those nose strips.Across the table, I hear happy sounds emerging from Zany’s direction as
she slurps her noodles and attempts to consume a piece of bacon the size of a
golf ball.

At last, she
puts down her chopsticks, folds her napkin demurely, sighs with satisfaction,
and suggests, “Shall we go in search of dessert?”

She leads me
through the labyrinth of UrbanSpace, which is now in serious need of crowd
control – we are surrounded by thousands of ravenous, well-groomed
professionals who would clearly be lost without their hair gel.

Zany makes a good show of leading me around UrbanSpace to see what’s available,
but it’s clear she’s leading me in the direction of Dough.This is a doughnut entrepreneur with
attitude.

Their slogan is “We Fry in Bed-Sty, Flatiron, Urban Space and now…Row
Hotel.”For those of you planning a trip
to New York, Row Hotel is a hip art filled hotel in the theater district that
clearly puts no restrictions on a guest’s calorie consumption.

These are
doughnuts on steroids and in fact, they are works of art, featuring varieties
such as Dulce De Leche-Almonds, Salted Chocolate Caramel, Passion Fruit and
Hibiscus.We select a mammoth Café au
Lait doughnut that seems a departure from our Asian menu.

“I was
thinking when we finished our ramen noodles that it was the first time I’d had
lunch with you and actually not felt stuffed,” says Zany.“I think that is about to change.”

I do the
honors and split the doughnut in half.It
has a roasted coffee glaze and toasted pecan topping. “What do you think?” I ask.“Would we say that this half-a-doughnut is about
a thousand calories?”

I wolf down
my half and half of Zany’s half and I do feel better. Which proves definitively
that the old medical bromide is, “Feed a cold, starve a fever.”Or, “Don’t waste your money on cold medications,
when you can have Ramen noodles and doughnuts.”

Congratulations on the book, T.W.! Just read about it on Louise's blog. Nobody knows more about Long Island food than you!So sorry you and Zany were under the weather....the old chicken soup adage sure is right! My mother made it with little dumplings, but ramen looks fabulous and I love all your additions.I'm on a diet and going to skip the donuts!